Door bottom weather strip



*"5 1 .T1NFOW ETAL. 3,324,558

DOOR BOTTOM WEATHER STRIP Filed March l0, 1965 INVENTOR lon/5L TIA/row DA/6v V. MIA/rod 3,324,598 DUUR BOTTUM WEATHER STRIP Lionel Tintow, 2d Galt Place, North Caldwell, NJ. tl'l'dtid, and Sidney V. Winton, 5572 Netheriand' Ave., New York, NSY. 10471 Filed Mar. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 438,704 3 laims. (Cl. 49-488) Our invention relates to weather stripping generally, and specifically to an adjustable door-bottom weather strip adapted to accommodate doors of varying thicknesses.

Recently, doors have been manufactured in two standard lwidths for thicknesses, 1% and 1%. Existing doorbottom weather stripping has a fixed thickness and, therefore, can accommodate but one xed door thickness. Thus, such weather stripping must be manufactured in two separate forms to accommodate each of the presently available standard door widths, thereby duplicating manufacturing equipment.

1n addition, since these known door-bottom weather strips have a rigidly fixed width, they cannot accommodate the usual individual variations in door thicknesses or thicknesses between the front edge of the door and the rear edge of the door. Thus, the door must be removed and sized in some suitable manner or, in some cases, the weather strip bent or deformed to tit the door. Thus, installation becomes laborious.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of our invention to provide a door-bottom weather strip adjustable in width to accommodate the two standard door thicknesses available today.

Another object of our invention is to provide a doorbottom weather strip adjustable in width along its entire length to accommodate for small variations in door thicknesses between the bottom front edge and bottom rear edge.

A further object of our invention is to provide a doorbottom weather strip which may be applied to the bottom of the door without removing the door from its hinges.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide a door-'bottom weather strip which is vertically adjustable to accommodate door installations having various clearances between the bottom edge of the door and the threshold.

Still a further object of our invention is to provide a door-bottom weather strip which may be attached to either or both of the faces of the door along the bottom edge thereof.

Yet a further object of our -invention is to provide a door-bottom weather strip comprising a pair of elongated, detachable interlocking members.

Another object of our invention is to provide a doorbottom weather strip in which a pair of elongated members interlock along the entire lengths in a plurality of width positions.

A further object of our invention is to provide a doorbottom weather strip having a detachable, flexible seal mounted along its bottom edge and adapted to engage a wide variety of standard door thresholds.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by our invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a view in perspective of one of two interlocking members comprising a door-bottom weather strip;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the other interlocking members;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the two interlocking members engaged with each other in their widest position with a door threshold located therebeneath;

FlGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the two inter- 3,324,59@ Patented June 13, 1967 locking members engaged to each other in their narrowest position;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view of the interlockmembers during the process of engagement to each other along their lengths in both widths positions.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, our bottomdoor weather strip comprises a pair of elongated, detachable interlocking members 11 and 12. Member 11 has a generally L-shaped conguration and consists of a flat, elongated, generally rectangular vertical side 13. A flat, elongated, generally rectangular, horizontal base 14 is formed integrally with the side 13 at its bottom longitudinal edge 15 and extends at right angles thereto. A downwardly extending, vertical leg 16 is formed on the longitudinal edge of the base 14 opposite the side 13. A horizontal leg 17 is formed on the vertical leg 16 at the bottom thereof extending in the direction opposite the side 13.

Interlocking member 12 consists of a at, elongated, vertical, generally rectangular side 18. An arcuate drip cap 19 is formed on the bottom edge of the side 18. A base Zit is formed integrally with the drip cap 19 on its concave face extending generally at right angles to the side 18.

The base 2t? defines a pair of elongated, generally T- shaped channels 21 and 22 extending generally parallel to the side 1S at the opposed longitudinal edges of the base 2i). Channels 21 and 22 .are open at their bottoms. An arcuate, downwardly convex, flexible vinyl seal 23 is detachably secured to the channels 21 and 22 by means of a cross member 24 extending along the opposed edges oi theA seal 23. The cross members 24 are shaped in dimension to slidably seat within the respective channels 21 and 22. The seal 23 extends longitudinally across the bottom of the door when the weather strip is engaged thereto and engages the top of any 'well known door threshold 25.

The base 20 of interlocking member 12 is provided with a pair of elongated longitudinal re-entrant grooves or channels 26 and 27 positioned intermediate the channels 21 and 22, and extending generally parallel to side 18. Channels 26 and 27 are open upwardly on the top of the base 20.

Horizontal leg 17 of interlocking member 11 passes through the open end of either channel 26 or 27 interlocking members 11 and 12 when it seats therein. By inserting leg 17 in either channel 26 or 27, the distance between sides \13 and 18 can be varied to accommodate either of the two standard door thicknesses available. Horizontal leg 17 is dimensioned more narrow than the width of either channel 26 and 27 to provide a limited degree of lateral play within the channel. The width of each opening 28 and 29 respectively of channels 26 and 27 is dimensioned with respect to the width of leg 17 on interlocking member 11, such that leg 17 inserts into either channel 26 or 27 through the said openings 28 or 29, along their entire lengths, as illustrated in FIGURE 5 by merely inserting and then rotating member 11 counter-clockwise.

Vertical leg 16 on member 11 is dimensioned so that base 14 thereof rests upon the top 30 of channel 22 of interlocking member 12 when the said members 11 a-nd 12 are interlocked; thus, maintaining the sides 13 and 18 in substantial parallelism during installation.

The width of each opening 28 and 29 of channels 26 and 27 respectively is greater than the thickness of the vertical leg 16 of member 11. Thus, since horizontal leg 17 is more narrow than either of the said channels 26 and 27, the degree of lateral adjustability permitted within each channel accommodates for individual diierences between doors of the same thickness, as well as individual differences in the thickness of the same door from side to side.

Each of the sides 13 and 18 of members 11 and 12 are provided with a plurality of generally vertical slots 31 through which screws 32 pass into the door 33, thereby securing members 11 and 12 thereto. It should also be noted that since members 1v1 and 12 are structurally rigid, member 11 may -be omitted 'altogether in the event that one does not wish to see side 13 on the bottom inside edge of the door.

Our weather strip is installed by iirst securing a suitable threshold to the floor beneath the door approximately at its center line when closed. Members .l1 and 12, which are provided i-n elongated segments which may be cut transversally according to the lateral width of the door. Members 11 and 12 'are then interlocked in either channel 26 or channel 27 depending upon the standard width of the door to which it is to be applied. The door is opened and the interlocked members 11 and 12 are slid onto the bottom of the door from its edge. Of cou-rse, member 11 is to be placed on the inside of the door, and member 12 with the dri-p cap 19, placed on the outside of the door. Sides 13 and 18 are dimensioned to provide substantial vertical adjustability. The door is shut and the interlocked members 11 and 12 slid downwardly until the seal 23 engages the threshold 25. The screws 32 are then inserted through the openings 31 and screwed into the door 33. The final small vertical adjustment may be obtained by sliding the interlocked members 11 and 12 upwardly or downwardly on the screws 32 through the elongated vertical openings 31. Of course, the `seal should make a firm contact with the threshold 25, but the door should open and close freely.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; Isuch s-ubstitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specilically catalogued herein.

We claim:

1. A door bottom weather strip comprising:

(a) first and `second elongated members;

(b) a base on the first member, the base having at least one elongated open channel extending along a -line generally parallel to the longer dimension of the said first member the channel being open in a direction generally perpendicular to the base;

(c) the second member being detachably interlocked in the said channel of the rst member along a line generally parallel to the longer dimension of the second member;

(d) a tlat side wall on each of the first and second 4- members, the side walls extending upwardly and at generally right angles to said base and parallel to each other when the members are interlocked, and

(e) a tlexible weather seal attached to the base of the fir-st member on the side opposite the open channel.

2. A door bottom weather strip comprising:

(a) iirst and second elongated members, detachably interlocked to each other;

(b) a base on the first member, the base having a plurality of re-entrant ygrooves on its top extending along a line generally parallel to the longer dimension of the said iirst member;

(c) a base on the second member;

(d) a generally vertical leg depending from one edge of the base of the second member;

(e) a horizontal leg on the bottom of the vertical leg, the horizontal leg being more narrow than the width of the grooves on the top of the base of the first member, the horizontal leg being insertable into each of said grooves along its entire length to detachably interlock the said members;

(f) a side wall on ea-ch ofthe bases of each of the first and second members extending upwardly and at generally right angles thereto and generally parallel to each other when the said members are interlocked;

(g) a exible weather seal attached to the bottom of the base of the lirst member.

3. A door bottom weather strip comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 2, and

(b) an enlargement on the base of the first member extending 4along its edge opposite its wall, and

(c) a flat surface on the top of said enlargement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,663,057 12/1953 Upholf 20-69 2,880,477 4/ 1959 Kunkel 49-470 2,903,757 9/1959 Loehr 20-64 2,970,397 '2/1961 Roseman 189-78 X 3,032,837 5/1962 Ramsey 49-468 3,061,896 11/1962 Wahfeld 49-499 X 3,142,097 7/1964 Oehmig 20--69 FOREIGN PATENTS 408,750 4/ 1934 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Sager Corp. advertisement: page 186 of Building Supply News for December 1958, TA 401 B95.

DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner.

W. E. HEATON, P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A DOOR BOTTOM WEATHER STRIP COMPRISING: (A) FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED MEMBERS; (B) A BASE ON THE FIRST MEMBER, THE BASE HAVING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED OPEN CHANNEL EXTENDING ALONG A LINE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGER DIMENSION OF THE SAID FIRST MEMBER THE CHANNEL BEING OPEN IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE BASE; (C) THE SECOND MEMBER BEING DETACHABLY INTERLOCKED IN THE SAID CHANNEL OF THE FIRST MEMBER ALONG A LINE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGER DIMENSION OF THE SECOND MEMBER; (D) A FLAT SIDE WALL ON EACH OF THE FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS, THE SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND AT GENERALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BASE AND PARALLEL TO 